Monday, December 6, 2010

WikiLeaks = stupidity!

I have stated before that I am all about our rights. Free speech is a big one and one I support. I will never be able to state enough that personal responsibility and accountability has got to come in to play. Just because we can say or do something due to these rights we have been given does not mean that it is the right thing to do. Having rights and being right can be very different things.

Many are saying that this WikiLeaks thing is a free speech/free press thing. They have the right to say what they want. While I know other countries have many freedoms we enjoy I find it interesting that a group that is largely made up of non-Americans is hiding behind the First Amendment. The way I understand it is we have the right to say what we feel, follow the religion we choose, and the press has the right to report on what it chooses even if the government thinks national security may be threatened and does not have to reveal it's sources. Actually sharing stolen secret information in it's entirety doesn't seem to really fall into that category. I may be wrong. I don't know everything and with 2 sick kids have no time to actually research a ton though firstamendmentcenter.org and this page specifically on freedom of press was helpful and informative. I did look on wikipedia and found the last paragraph on international significance to be very interesting. I have been pretty impressed with the newspapers involved, at least the New York Times, because they have made sure to edit out info that puts lives at risk. They have shared info that has been embarrassing absolutely but they have made the effort to protect our interests and deserve commending for that.

Today on CNN I saw this article. Each day I have felt what I am sure millions have felt. A growing anger and even a dash of fear at the impact these "whistle blowers" could have on our security. Then today's article. To sum it up our State Department asked our diplomats from around the globe to identify key locations around the world that impact U.S. security. We are talking things like communications pipelines, chemical and mineral areas critical to our industry, dams, mines. The list goes on. CNN did not publish the list in an effort to maintain some semblance of security and I salute them for it.

As this has progressed over the last months I have wholeheartedly supported the espionage label. Sharing stolen documents, many labeled as secret and classified for a reason, with the public just reeks of at the very least a heavy disdain for the U.S. and at most a desire to see us destroyed. WikiLeaks and their lovely leader may not be pulling the trigger but they are handing the gun to someone who is more than happy to do so and in my book that is just as bad. This newest release seems to be sliding over that line from espionage into terrorism IMHO. Assange was already inching that way by distributing a large compressed encrypted "insurance policy" file. He said that he distributed the file with even more damaging info and that if the attacks on him and the website persisted he would release the key and unlock the information. What kind of whistle blower tries to blackmail people? I am beyond disgusted with this man and his organization. He is putting more lives than he can count at risk and he refuses to take any form of responsibility. All he is doing is being a good Samaritan and sharing with the public what they have the right to know. Please...... He is a bottom feeder who wanted to find a way to make a name for himself and this was the way he was going to do it. Hurt as many people as possible. How's that working out so far? It only gets better. Trust me.

1 comment:

First - I think that anyone encountering material reasonably believed to be correctly marked "secret", "confidential", or "top secret" or the like - has an obligation to notify the FBI, and surrender the material. Anything else risks the gravity of harm to the US that the marking represents.

As major media newspapers aren't on the "need to know" list that applies to each such marked bit of information - they are not, by law, competent to edit out "damaging" parts. My approach above applies.

On the other hand, there are materials marked classified that aren't, that are merely embarrassing or part of chicanery on the part of unscrupulous abusers of the public trust. Abuses of trust cannot be addressed under a cloak of secrecy.

In the case of the released cables, that was a clear and intentional case of deliberate espionage, with the intent to damage the US. The dude that copied the info needs to be sentenced to life, mowing the lawns at US military grave yards around the world, shifted to a new site every year, with a Marine DI directing and reviewing his efforts. With a push mower.

Let him pursue his personal issues on any personal time his assigned Marine Sgt allots.

WikiLeaks performs both a valuable service, illuminating the chicanery and double-dealing of this and previous administrations. At the same time it limits the ability for honest folk to be secure and thrive in the future.

I personally believe that peak oil will indeed, as Club Orlov contends, result in a precipitous collapse of global order and economics, as dwindling oil field production prompts exporters to - stop exporting.

As much of our economy is predicated, directly or indirectly, on converting cheap energy to consumption, the loss of cheap energy - oil and coal are the only examples that currently meet the "cheap" test, and are the only forms currently available in nationally useful form - will disrupt a lot. The strategic list you decry could be taken as a warning - to triage which are to be sacrificed and workarounds arranged, and which are to be hardened more securely. If the triage and preparation proceed - this will have been a service to mankind and to the US.

Unfortunately, the politically expedient "silence the embarrassment" will likely be more attractive than the morally valid "let's stop embarrassing ourselves".

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